European Parliament (EP) President Roberta Metsola on Saturday sent a message to Famagustians that the EP’s position on the reunification of Cyprus remained unwavering.

According to an announcement by the Famagusta Association of the United Kingdom and its President Vasilis Mavros, Metsola responded to a letter of complaint sent to her by the association as part of a communications campaign.

Metsola assured that the violations and threats of the Turkish army, especially in Famagusta and in the buffer zone, were treated with all the seriousness they deserve by her, but also by the entire European Parliament.

In addition, she emphasised that she condemns in the strongest possible way any unilateral, hostile action, such as the recent attack by Turkish Cypriots on members of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus, after the start of illegal projects in the buffer zone outside the village of Pyla.

At the same time, she condemned Turkish plans to build an Islamic masjid on the site of the monastery of Apostolos Andreas in Karpasia.

Mavros said: “The President of the European Parliament said that the position of the European Parliament regarding the reunification of Cyprus remains unwavering, supporting a just, comprehensive and sustainable settlement on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with a single international legal identity, a single sovereignty and a single citizenship and with political equality for the two communities.”

According to Mavros, Metsola also referred to the importance of the UN Secretary-General appointing an envoy on the Cyprus problem.

She also recalled the report on Turkey that the EU parliament pased last week, which said unless the Turkish government “drastically changes course”, Turkey’s EU accession process cannot resume.

Reference was made in the report to the ongoing issue in Pyla in the buffer zone, where Turkish Cypriots attacked Unficyp officers in August during their attempts to start work on a road between the village and that of Arsos in the north.

In the report, the EU said it, “condemns the launch of illegal construction work by the Turkish occupying forces within the buffer zone near the bi-communal village of Pyla in Cyprus, as well as the assaults against UN peacekeepers and damage to UN vehicles on 18 August 2023.”

The report also called on Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to cease and reverse all such unilateral activities and avoid any further actions and provocations that are not conducive to the resumption of the UN-led negotiations.